Junko A. Arai, Shaomin Li, Dean M. Hartley, Larry A. Feig

The idea that qualities acquired from experience can be transmitted to future offspring has long been considered incompatible with current understanding of genetics. However, the recent documentation of non-Mendelian transgenerational inheritance makes such a “Lamarckian”-like phenomenon more plausible. Here, we demonstrate that exposure of 15-d-old mice to 2 weeks of an enriched environment (EE), that includes exposure to novel objects, elevated social interactions and voluntary exercise, enhances long-term potentiation (LTP) not only in these enriched mice but also in their future offspring through early adolescence, even if the offspring never experience EE. In both generations, LTP induction is augmented by a newly appearing cAMP/p38 MAP kinase-dependent signaling cascade. Strikingly, defective LTP and contextual fear conditioning memory normally associated with ras-grf knock-out mice are both masked in the offspring of enriched mutant parents. The transgenerational transmission of this effect occurs from the enriched mother to her offspring during embryogenesis. If a similar phenomenon occurs in humans, the effectiveness of one’s memory during adolescence, particularly in those with defective cell signaling mechanisms that control memory, can be influenced by environmental stimulation experienced by one’s mother during her youth.

2 thoughts on “Junko A. Arai, Shaomin Li, Dean M. Hartley, Larry A. Feig

  1. shinichi Post author

    (sk)

    母親の若い頃の経験が、子供に伝わる。もちろん、遺伝子コードが変化するわけではない。

    エピジェネティックス。染色体や遺伝子が科学装飾を受けて変化する。変化するだけなら驚かないが、その変化が子供にまで及ぶとすれば、やはりそれは驚きだ。

    父親の若い頃の経験は、残念ながら伝わらない。そして、せっかく子供に伝わった母親の若い頃の経験は、孫には伝わらない。

    。。。と、そこまで理解して、気がついたのだけれど、自分の良い経験は自分自身に良い影響を与えるし、自分の悪い経験は自分自身に悪い影響を与える。遺伝がどうのこうのなどと言わず、自分を良い環境に置けばいいのだ。なにもかもを親のせいにしても、仕方ない。

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